A prison officer at HMP The Mount who had an intimate relationship with a prisoner will face more than two years in jail.

Dawn MacCormack was sentenced to 26 months' prison last Friday (September 13) after being convicted of misconduct in public office after a nine-day trail at St Albans Crown Court in July.

The 42-year-old had begun an inappropriate relationship with Josh Moore in January 2019 before detectives discovered the inmate had two phones that had been smuggled into the prison, which he and MacCormack used to share 4,500 texts and calls between May 15 and June 20, 2019.

MacCormack, of Organ Hall Road, Borehamwood, admitted to two counts of exchanging messages during the trial and was sentenced to 12 months in prison, to be served concurrently.

Detective Constable Paula Mowbray said: “I hope this sentence sends a clear message that those who seek to undermine public trust while holding positions of authority will be dealt with by the full force of the law.

“The majority of prison staff carry out their duties to the highest standards, and I do not want this sentence to detract from that.

"However, the actions of the minority who engage in illicit behaviour and inappropriate relationships should not be ignored, and we will continue to investigate such cases.

“I would also like to praise staff at HMP The Mount who came forward to give evidence during the trial, leading to a successful conviction.

Dawn MacCormack, 42, of Organ Hall Road, BorehamwoodDawn MacCormack, 42, of Organ Hall Road, Borehamwood (Image: Herts Police) “Prison officers up and down the country work tirelessly to maintain the smooth running of the prison regime and were brave enough to stand up to a colleague who was abusing her position and endangering the safety of her colleagues.

“Her corrupt behaviour completely undermines the difficult and dangerous work that prison officers do in order to help protect the public and keep prisons secure.”

Giving evidence, MacCormack had told defence barrister Abigail Bright that she was in a state of extreme distress at the time, as her mother was dying of pancreatic cancer, and her marriage to her husband had come to an end after 15 years, although they were still living in the same house with their children.

She said that she was dismissed from her previous receptionist job in 2016 after bosses accused her of bringing her mental health problems to work.

MacCormack applied to join the prison service online after seeing an advert, and after starting in April 2018, she underwent 300 hours of training, including gaining an exam score of 45 out of 50.

She also stated that she had depression at various stages and had "brain fog" about much of her contact with Moore.

MacCormack was charged in June 2020.